Screaming Females: Marissa Paternoster (guitar, vocals), Mike Abbate (bass, left), and Jarrett Dougherty (drums). Photo / Supplied
Screaming Females: Marissa Paternoster (guitar, vocals), Mike Abbate (bass, left), and Jarrett Dougherty (drums). Photo / Supplied
New Jersey punk trio Screaming Females are heading back to New Zealand to play five dates in late May.
Formed in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 2005, Screaming Females have released six albums.
The band are said to have remained deeply individual and steadfastly DIY, and to have grown into one of the most dynamic and devastating touring bands going today.
Screaming Females last toured New Zealand in 2016. Since then they have released the album All At Once, considered their most expansive and imaginative work to date.
We catch up with drummer Jarrett Dougherty to find out more.
It was a line from a book of poetry that was laying around my house. It isn't supposed to be taken literally. We liked it because it seemed like a powerful image that had some room for personal interpretation.
3 Will fans hear new music when you perform in NZ?
We released a new album, All At Once, in 2018. We are very excited to bring that batch of songs to New Zealand for the first time and perform them live.
4 What's your favourite song to perform live and why?
Glass House. The drums are very sparse in the song. Drummers are known for wanting to play too loud, too fast, and too much. SO it is a really intense moment for me to have to sit back and listen to Mike and Marissa play.
5 Who are your musical heroes and why?
We really look up to our peers and other bands that have a strong DIY work ethic. We have been very influenced by the band Shellshag. Jennifer and Shellhead have been performing together in various projects for decades. They have continued to write, record, and perform incredible live shows all on their own terms. There isn't a formula to follow for music. It is amazing to witness all the varied journeys.
6 Is there an overriding theme or message you'd like to get across in your music?
Not really. We work really hard to produce music we find exciting. We record and perform live in a way that we hope comes across as unique.
7 What one song would you recommend someone new to your music should start with?
That's a hard question because we've released so much material. I'll just say our latest single I'll Make you Sorry.
8 What is your most enduring memory of your previous time in New Zealand?
The amazing landscape. I had the flu for most of the trip. It felt like a fever dream to watch out the window as the landscape changed so drastically over the course of a single drive from one show to the next.
9 If you were only allowed one album on your device for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Double Nickels On The Dime by The Minutemen. It is one of the greatest punk records ever recorded. Also it is a double album so I get more bang for my buck.
10 You're curating a festival - who's on the bill, alive or dead?
I'll pick three. 1. Shellshag, 2. The Minutemen, 3. Neil Young and Crazy Horse
•Screaming Females are playing Auckland's Whammy on May 28, Wellington's San Fran on May 29, Blenheim's The Plant on May 30, Christchurch's Darkroom on May 31 and Dunedin's The Cook on June 1. Tickets from undertheradar.co.nz.
